Appliance for alining and leveling shafting.



C. HAFNER.

APPUANCE FOR ALINING AND LEVELING SHAFTING.

APPLICATION HLED IULYY, 1911.

1, 1 34, 1 25 Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

HEET 1.

6AM Xa m THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTC-LITHD, WASHINGTON, D C.

C. HAFNER.

APPLIANCE FOR A LINING AND LEVELING SHAFTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY]. I911.

1,1 34,125. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- /if/v ss JNV N R THE NORRIS PETERS CO" FHOTWL'THO" WASHINGTON. D. C.

CHARLES HAFNER, 0F BOSTON, NIASSAOHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB '10 KINKEAD MANUFAC- TUBING- COMPANY, OF BOSTON, IVIASSAGHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

APPLIANCE FOR ALINING AND LEVELING SHAFTING.

Application filed. July 7, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES Hnrnnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Appliances for Alining and Leveling Shafting, of which the following descrip ion, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to appliances for alining and leveling shafting and analogous work, and particularly to an adjustable supporting carrier for the portable target used with such apparatus.

The features of the present invention are well adapted for use in connection with a system of alining and leveling shafting and the like, generally disclosed in the patent to Kinkead, No. 685,455 patented October 29, 1901.

The invention provides means whereby all shafts within the gripping range of the clamps used can be gripped with the centers thereof exactly the same distance from the movable target, whether the shaft be large or small, and with a construction of swinging clamping jaws which can be instantly adjusted into engagement with the shaft and thereafter quickly adjusted to grip the same; the swinging jaws used being removable so that different sizes can be substituted to further extend the range of shafts that can be gripped by the device.

Further features of the invention consist in a long quick adjustment of the portable target relative to the clamping aws, and in connection therewith, a small accurate adjustment to bring the target to the exact position desired.

The above and other features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will thereafter be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved adjustable support and the portable target carried thereby, with the shaft to which the device is applied shown in section. Fig. 2 is a corresponding edge view of the appliance. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevation, partly in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Serial No. 637,367.

section, showing the means for adjusting the clamping jaws. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4., 4%, of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view of a clamping jaw, showing the manner in which different sizes of shafts are gripped thereby, and Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the portable target removed from its holder.

A tubular member 1 is externally threaded for most of its length as shown at 2, and at one end has fixed thereto a bracket block 3 having a pivot mounting 4 for oppositely swinging gripping jaws 5, 6. These jaws have outwardly projecting ears pivotally connected at 7, 8 to links 9, 10 which have pivotal engagement at their other ends with a cross piece 13, having swiveled through a transverse aperture thereof, a sleeve 14:. The sleeve 14: has at its top a collar 15, to retain the cross piece 13 thereon, and has pivoted to ears on opposite sides thereof at 16, 17, arms 18, 19, having threaded extremities 20, 21 at one end to extend through openings cut out therefor in the sides of the sleeve 14: and constitute cooperating portions of a split nut for engagement with the external threads 2 on the tube 1. The arms 18, 19 are extended at the other sides of the pivots 16, 17 to form handles 22, 23 adapted to be simultaneously gripped by the hand and pressed inward against springs 24:, 25 mounted near the ends thereof, to disengage the nut portions 20, 21 from the threads 2.

It may now be understood that the handle portions 22, 23, together serving as a convenient hand grip, are grasped to fix open the jaws 5, 6 to receive a shaft, as shown at 26. This hand grip with the sleeve 14: is then slid inward along the tube 1 until the jaws are fitted against the shaft when, by releasing the pressure on the handles 22, 23 so as to permit the nut portions 20, 21 to engage with threads 2 and turning sleeve let with the arms 18, 19, the jaws 5, 6 may be gripped to the shaft to rigidly engage the entire support therewith.

An important feature of the invention consists in the particular formation of the shaft gripping jaws 5, 6. Each of these is formed with a rearwardly extending recess 27 converging to a size adapted to grip the smallest dimension of shaft for which the jaws are designed, and from this a beak extends outwardly with a gripping are or curvature 28 so formed with relation to an opposite curve 29 on the inner portion of the jaw, that the various sizes of circular shafts shown by the dotted lines 30, when gripped between the surfaces 28, 29, will all have their centers in a circle 31 whose center is the supporting pivot 4 of the clamp, and which circle, as shown, passes through the pivots 7, 8 engaged by the operating links 9, 10. Thus the pivot point 4 of the jaws and hence the tubular member 1 will occupy the same position with reference to the center of the shaft clamped, whether this be the largest or the smallest within the range adapted to be gripped by the jaws.

The converging recesses formed by the curved gripping portions 28, 29, of the jaws are adapted to grip a considerable range of sizes of shafting, and to further extend the range of shaft sizes which may be gripped, the jaws are made readily removable and plural sets of different sizes may be provided with the apparatus so that any shafting ordinarily'apt to be encountered may be engaged by one or the other of the sets of jaws. One of these jaws, the one designated 6, is formed with double spaced apart beak portions, and the other jaw 5 has its single beak portion guided therebetween, as shown in Fig. 2. The clamped jaws 5, 6. and their cooperating adjusting mechanism are symmetrically arranged with relation to the tubular member 1, so that as the jaws are fitted to and gripped in engagement with a shaft, the center of such shaft is in the plane of the center of the tube 1. The tubular member 1 has fixed on its lower end a sleeve cap 33, having an axial opening therethrough to receive with a close-sliding fit a rod 34, which is thus slidable up through the tubular member 1 to be telescoped therewith as much as desired, it being held in proper adjustment relative to said tubular member by a screw clamp 35 threaded through the sleeve cap 33 into gripping engagement with the rod 34. Should it be desired to position the target or other part to be held, a longer distance from the shaft than permitted by the rod 34 shown, a plurality of such rods of different lengths may be provided for interchangeable use with the apparatus. limited sliding movement on its lower end, a bracket piece 36, this being held to slide without turning or removal by a pin 37 on the rod 34, projecting through a slot 38 formed lengthwise on said bracket. The rod 34 has a reduced extremity 39 threaded to receive an adjusting nut 40 adapted to press the bracket piece 36 upward against the tension of a coil spring 41 housed .between a shoulder on the rod 34 and an opposing portion of bracket piece 36.

The adjustable support thus provided by the bracket piece 36 is adapted to receive long adjustments relative to the shaft The rod 34 has fitted for gripped by the jaws, 5, 6, which can be quickly and easily made by telescoping the rod 34 within the tubularmember 1 to the desired extent and locking the same by the clamp 35, while fine accurate adjustments between the samesparts can be effected by manipulation of the nut 40, the spring 41 holding the bracket piece pressed closely against the nut; this spring pressure against the nut 40 also serves to'loc'k the same suffi ciently against turning'so that casual displacement thereof is prevented. This construction is preferable. to a positive screw adjustment both ways, or looking nuts at either side, in that it permits a yielding engagement to eliminate shocks on the part carried by bracketpiece 36. piece 36 is likewise symmetrically formed with relation to the rod 34 and tubular member 1, so that the article held thereby The bracket may have its center in the plane of the axis" of the shaft held by the jaws 5, 6. The support thus produced may be applied to various uses, but it has a special field of usefulness in connection with a portable target to be used in alining a shaft gripped between the jaws. Such a target is shown at 42,,be-

ing supported by a bow 43 bolted to the bracket piece as shown at 44 and holding the target framein fixed relation thereto by center pivot bolts 45 and other bolts 46 shown. This target has lines of measuring and alining teeth 47, 48 at right angles to each other, the line of teeth 47 being located exactly in the axial line of the Whole device and hence in a common plane with the axis of a shaft 26 held between the gripping jaws. The movable target 42, though most usually suspended from beneath the shafting to be alined as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is also adapted to be extended in 'a horizontal plane from the shaft and to facilitate this arrangement a bracket 49 is removably fastened to the target frame as by screw bolts 50 and has an adjusting bolt 51 threaded through a projecting ear thereof to rest upon a pole or other support, of a length to rest upon a floor and hold the target in horizontal alinement with the shaft, the exact horizontal alining being effected by adjustment of the screw bolt 51. 7

Spirit levels 52, 53 are fixed on the target frame and on the bracket 49 for alining the target in its vertical and horizontal posi tions respectively, relative to the shaft. In other conditions of use the target is sometimes mounted to extend upwardly from the shaft to be alined instead of being suspended downwardlytherefrom, and when this is the case,the target-is turned about its center bolts 45 in the bow 43 and reversed, the other securingbolts 46 being first removed. The bracket 49 is ofcourse detached before reversing, as it would be in the way of bow 43. A testing or center .pin, .54 is fixed. to

bracket block 3, or the pivot pin of the jaws may project as shown at 54% in the axial line of the several parts to enable a plumb bob line to be suspended therefrom past the target for lining up, and other similar pins 55, 56, 57, are fixed to two sides and the top of the target respectively, as shown, to permit the hanging of the plumb bob from one or the other across the target face, as may be required in the different conditions of use when the target is reversed or laterally projected in either direction from the shaft. The lines of teeth 4&7, 48 of the target are preferably formed with accurately spaced apart V-shaped points extending crosswise diametrically across the target at right angles, these points in connection with the alining outfit e. 9., as set forth in Patent No. 68%,455 above mentioned, enabling a particularly exact measurement of the conditions of shaft alinement to be made.

By reason of the peculiar construction of handle grippers 22, 23 and parts controlled thereby, it is possible to quickly and positively adjust the jaws and fit the same upon any particular shaft by pressing in on the handle portions 22, 23 and sliding the sleeve 14 along thereby, while by a small turning movement of the same parts thereafter the jaws are firmly gripped to the shaft. The telescoping connection of the rod 34 and tubular member 1 in connection with the nut 40 and spring 41 engaged with the end of said rod, affords a simple, compact and readily controlled means of eflecting a long quick adjustment and thereafter a small accurate adjustment of the part held by bracket piece 36, while the special construction of the jaws 5, 6 enables the target, or other part carried by the device to be held an exact definite distance from the shaft center for the different sizes of shafting clamped between the jaws. This last is a feature of considerable practical importance where a line of shafting has successive portions thereof of different sizes. The apparatus provides means whereby the target be accurately alined and gripped in position on the shaft, either suspended therefrom, or projected thereover or horizontally extending at either side thereof, all these being conditions encountered in practice for alining shafting under different conditions.

The application of the adjustable support and target to alining sha-fting is to be understood as merely illustrative, since it is likewise adapted to various other uses such as the grading of steam and water pipes, locating side pulls and overloads, the bracing and setting up of machinery in general, and common indoor and outdoor surveying. It is therefore to be understood that the terms shaft anc shafting are used in the foregoing specification and in the appended claims in an illustrative and not in a restrictive sense and are intended to cover and include any snrnlar or suitable part to whlch the device may be applied. The adjustable support is likewise of general utility and its association with a portable target is only an illustrative application thereof. The details of the construction of the several parts may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited thereto, or in any other particulars except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the kind described, comprising a support, having a longitudinal portion with opposite jaws mounted to swing about a common pivot on said longitudinal portion to clamp a shaft, said jaws having oppositely converging recessed portions formed to clamp shafts of different sizes with their centers the same distance from the pivot on said portion.

A device of the kind described, comprising a support, having a longitudinal portion with jaws oppositely mounted to swing about a common axis on said longitudinal portion to clamp a shaft with its center in the axial center of said support, said jaws having recessed gripping portions with the gripping surfaces thereof formed on lines of curvature such that all shafts within the range of the jaws are gripped with their centers at the same distance from a given point on the support.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a support having a portion provided with means to grip a shaft and with parts arranged fortelescopic adjustment, said support having another portion held by one of said parts carrying a target or the like to be supported, the last named portion having a spring backing arranged for cotiperation therewith being mounted for slidable adjustment against the same relative to the shaft gripping portion, and means for effecting a fine threaded adjustment between said portions against said spring backing.

4. A device of the kind described, com prising a support, having a longitudinal portion with opposite swinging jaws pivoted thereto having clamping formations arranged to grip shafts of different sizes with their centers at the same distance from the longitudinal portion, means for operating said jaws mounted for free sliding movement on said portion to fit the jaws to a shaft, said means and said portion being cooperatively formed for a different slower relative adjusting movement to grip the jaws upon the shaft, and a target or the like held by said support in fixed definite relation to the shaft.

A device of the kind described, com- I longitudinal portion, a sleeve slidable on said portionand connected to operate said jaws, said sleeve carrying a movable part having threads to cooperate with threads on said portion when in one position, whereby said jaws may be adjusted to a shaft by a' sliding movement of said sleeve on said portion, and may be gripped to the shaft by a turning movement thereof, and atarget or the like held by said support in fixed definite relation to the shaf 6. A device of the kind described, comprising a support having a longitudinalportion provided with means to grip a shaft, a target holder carried by said support, and a target 'pivotally mounted for reversal in said holder, whereby it 'may be located in depending relation to a shaft or vertically thereover, and means associated with said target to aid in precisely locating it at different sides of the shaft.

7 A device of the kind described, comprising a support having a longitudinal portion provided with means to grip a shaft, a target carried by said support adapted to be located in depending relation thereto, and

a bracket arranged in position to support the target horizontally spaced away from a target, means permitting sliding telescopic adjustment between said bracket and saidf support, and means for effecting threaded adjustment of said bracket relative to said support against a yielding backing arranged for cooperation therewith. f

9. A device of the kind described,-,comprising in combination, a support, shaft gripping jaws swingingly mounted thereon and arranged-to clamp diiferent sizes of shafts in the axial line of the support and with their centers, the same distance therefrom, a target carried by said support, means permitting quick sliding adjustment of the target relative to the'support, and

means for effecting fine threaded adjust-.

ment between said parts.

In testimony whereof, I have signed. my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

/ CHARLES HAFNER'.

Witnesses: V

C. L. Rooms, R. Gr. HnRsEY,

Copies, of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0." 

